Selective speed drive



1 2g; 393@ J. E. BRENNEN -SELECTIVE .SPEED DRIVE Filed Dec. ll, 1934 5'/ l i MMU/M Patented Jan. 28, 1936 s'r'rss iihiti'i FFCE 6 Claims.

Generically this invention relates to drives for machinery, but it is more especially directed to a selective or variable speed drive for use in connection with cotton distributors and feed controls.

Heretofore, it has been necessary to either stop the iiovv of 'cotton through the cleaning machines entirely as the distributors or hoppers become lled and to then start the iovv again as the hoppers call for cotton or When the relay on the. distributor control has completed its time cycle. Therefore one of the principal objects of this invention is the provision of a selective or variable speed drive device, especially applicable to my Patent No. 1,899,791, Feb. 28, 1933, adapted to reduce and increase the speed of bale breakers or hoppers used in feeding cotton cleaning machines delivering to distributors and pickers, to produce a more even and continuous ovv of the cotton through the cleaning machines and prevent said machines running idle every time the start-stop control operates.

An important object of this invention is the provision of a selective or variable speed drive for cotton cleaning machines and the like including means for intermittently varying the driving speed of the device in accordance with operating requirements.

A further important object oi this invention is the provision of a selective or variable speed drive comprising a series of belt driven pulleys, certain of said pulleys being connected to and adapted to drive a driven member at one speed, and certain others similarly adapted to drive said driven member at a diierent speed, a belt connecting a prime mover with a respective pulley, and means for automatically shifting said belt from one pulley to another to vary the speed of the driven member in accordance With operating requirements.

In describing my invention in detail, reference speed drive.

Fig. 2 is a 'cross sectional View on the line 2-2 oi Fig, 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan View looking in the direction oi the arrows line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

in connection with cotton cleaning machines, distributors and the like, wherein the overoW or operation of certain components oi the apparatus or load in transit, through the instrumentality of start-stop control devices effects the com- .plete respective stopping and operation of the (Cl. 'ld-217) machines for definite time periods, certain disadvantages are presented, such as permitting some of the components to at times carry too much load and others to run idle, and it was to overcome such disadvantages, and to provide a selective speed drive comprising a pulley and belt unit including a driving pulley for driving a driven member at one speed and a similar unit for driving said driven member at a different speed, a belt connecting a prime mover with a respective driving pulley, and means for automatically shifting the prime mover belt from the driving pulley oi one unit to that of the other unit to intermittently vary the speed of the driven member in accordance with operating requirements and to insure an even flow of the cotton through the machine, that I designed the differential drive forming the subject matter of this invention.

In the illustrated embodiment characterizing this invention there is shown a main driving shaft I and mounted on said shaft and suitably secured thereto is a Wide pulley 2, which pulley or unit, for purposes oi description, may be referred to as a prime mover unit A.

The frame B may be suitably supported as a hanger or otherwise as desired and comprises parallel end members or bars 3 and 4 and spaced inwardly therefrom are the parallel bars 5 and E, the free ends oi which extend beyond the ends of said bars 3 and The opposite ends of the respective bars are connected to a cross bar 'i by rivets 8 or other suitable fastening means. Mounted on bar 3 adjacent its free end is a bearing secured by bolts it, and in alignment therewith similarly mounted on bar 5 is bearing I I. Similar and aligned bearings I2 and I3 are mounted on bars i and 6, respectively.

A shaft Id is journaled in bearings 9 and I I and mounted on its inner end is drive pulley I5 secured by set screws Iii, or keyed as desired. Similarly journaled in bearings I2 and I3 and in meeting alignment With shaft i5 is a shaft I'I on Which is mounted pulley I8 similar to pulley I5, and on the free end of said shaft Il intermediate pulleys E5 and I8 is suitably mounted a loose or idler pulley I9. Suitably mounted on shaft I adjacent to bearing 9 is pulley 2) and similarly mounted on shaft Il adjacent bearing I2 is pulley ZI for a purpose directly more fully appearing.

It will be noted that the three pulleys iEa-I i S combined are the same width as pulley 2 to which they are connected by prime mover belt 22 shown applied to and in driving position with respect to pulley i5, but which is adapted to be sh' ted across loose pulley I9 and to pulley I5 ated thrustor or shifting means may neted the substantially U-shaped or loop belta ,Y

shifter. member 3B through which is adapted to extend belt 22 and by means Vof which said belt is intermittently shifted to and from;drive p'dlleys Iand i8. In order to maintain shift member 30,A

Yproperly positioned and out of contact with pulleys l-li-l, follower 25J is adapted to engage the stationary slide member 3l suitably supportedY on said frame members 5 and 6.

The pilot motor 23 is connected to a source of Y vpower not shown, and 4controlled, by a reversing switch, not shown, suitably controlled to operate said belt shifter in accordance with operating requirements. Y t

While IY have preferably shown a pilot motor and screwmeans for shifting the prime mover belt,'it is to be understood `that a manually operbe employed if desired.V .Y Y

Positioned with respectV to frame B in Vaccordance with the particular requirements, is a suitablyr mounted countershaft -32 on which is mount- Y ed and secured, what may be termed, the normal or fast speed pulley 3s in alignment with pulley 2! to it is connected by belt 34. Mounted on said shaftY in alignment with pulley 20 is slow speed pulley 35 connected withpulley, 20 by beltV 3G. ,t Pulley 35 is of larger diameter than pulley 33 and therefore is designed. to drive shaft '32 at a slower speed than pulley 33, as'will well understood. Also mounted on shaft32 intermediate the pulleys 33 and 35 is pulley 31. pulleymay howeverbe mounted at any desired point on shaft 32.' Pulley 3l is adapted toY drive theV feed hopper or bale opener mechanism D,

,which for purposes of description maybe termed 'thedrivenmember.. Y. .Y The feed hopperor bale opener D. comprises shaft 38 suitably journaled in bearing 39, and on the free end of which is suitably mountedand secured pulley 4U which isconnected to pulleyY 31 by belt 4 l 'Although the operationwof thedevice would seem to beclear fromV the above descriptionit Y might be well tofurther state as follows:

`l/i/'henipower is delivered from pulley 2 or ,prime mover A throughbelt 22 to'drive pulley I8,power ,willbetransmitted to pulley'ZI, pulley V33, pulley tlpulleyrlie andjoperate the drivenrmember D` atnormal speed, and when operating conditions necessitate changing-the speed or when a definite ytime period has elapsed, pilot motor 23 will be started and Vi'vill'operate screw 2l and shifter 3U tol shift belt 2,2 acrossloose pulley i9 to pulley l5, and power will then be transmitted through pulley i, and pulleys 2t, 35, 3l, and lil to operate drive element D `at a slower speed and for the requisite time periodas abovereferred to, at which time the reversing switch or other control means will :cause the motor to reverse the operation of screw Y Y 2l anddirection of travel of follower 29 and shift Y 'member 3o, ,toY shift belt Z2 across loosepulley I9 and into operative engagement with pulley VI8 as VV-in the first instance.Y

It be noted that a wide speed range in pulley 3e can beobtained by changing the sizes of pulleys 33 and '35. It will likewise be observed that when the device is in operation therespecfive drive unitsY are in continuous operation, whether driving the driven member or running idle, thereby eliminating the disadvantages incifdent to the sudden starting and stopping of parts,

thereby not only eiecting a smo-oth running elfiil'cient mechanism, but increasing the life of the device. i

From the above it will be apparent that I have designed a selective speeddrive ef the character described,A comprising few parts, expeditiously 0perable to vary .the speed of the'driven member,

simple in construction, gersatile in use, Yand elin f cient for the purposes intended.

I have described the preferable form of my invention although, I desire to emphasize that various minor changes in details of construction, pro# portionand arrangement of parts, maybe re- Y sorted to within the scope'of the appended claims without departing from or sacrificing .any of the principles of this invention. Y j

Having thus described my invention, whatfI desire protected by Letters Patent isV as set forth in the following claims: Y .Y l

1. A selective speed drive of the character (1e-1 scribed comprising a pair of independently ro.' tatably aligned shafts, a trio of pulleys, the outermost pulleys of the trio being connected to the inner extremities of the aligned shafts, the inter Ymediate pulley being independentlyV rotatable with respect to said shafts, a driven shaft, a pulley keyed .to the driven shaft, and means connecting the free ends ofthe aligned shafts-With the driving shaft, whereby the last-mentioned Y pulley may be operated at different speeds.

2. A selective speed drive of the character deiV scribed comprising a pair of independently rotatably alignedl shafts, a trio of pulleys, the outere most pulleys of the tric being connected to the inner extremities of the aligned shafts, the inA termediate pulley being independently rotatable with respect to said shafts, driving pulleys mounted on the free endsof said shafts, a driven shaft,

a pulley keyed to the driven shaft, driving means interconnecting the driving pulleys Vand driven shaft, theV respective driving Ymeans adapted to drive Asaidpulley at different speeds. Y Y

3.Y A selective speed drive of thecharacter described., comprising a pair of independently rotatably aligned shafts, a trio of pulleys, the outer-Y vmost pulleys Vof the trioV beingtconnected to the inner extremities of the aligned'shafts, the intermediate pulley being independently rotatable withY respect to saidpshafts, a ,driven shaft, a pulley connected to .the driven Vshaft and means connectingfthe free ends of Vthealigned vshafts with the driven shaft to drive said pulley Vat different speeds,driving means respectivelyengageable with the pulleysY of said trio and shift@` able from ,one outermost pulley to vthe other whereby intermittent rotation of said driven pulley may be effected. Y, 4.V A selective speed `drive ofthe character deto Y scribed comprising a pair of independently rotatably aligned shafts adapted to rotate at the same speed, a trio of pulleys, the outermost pul-f leys of the trio being yconnected to the inner endsY Y of said shafts, the intermediate pulley being in;- K

dependentlyrotatable with respect to said shafts,

a driven shaft, apulley secured tothe driven Y, shaft, and means connecting the free ends of the i. aligned shafts with the driven shaft for driving said shaft at different speeds, belt means adapted to engage any one of the respective pulleys of said trio, and means for reversibly shifting said belt from one outermost pulley to the other, whereby power delivered to the driven pulley may be intermittently cut off and alternately applied at different driving speeds.

5. A selective speed drive of the character described comprising a pair of independently rotatably aligned shafts adapted to rotate at the same speed, a trio of pulleys, the outermost pulleys of the trio being connected to the inner endsof said shaft, the intermediate pulley being independently rotatable with respect to said shafts, a driven shaft, a pulley secured to the driven shaft, and means connecting the free ends of the aligned shafts with the driven shaft for driving said shaft at different speeds, a prime mover, a belt adapted to connect said prime mover with any one of the respective pulleys of said trio, and means for reversibly shifting said belt from one outermost pulley to the other whereby power delivered to the driven pulley may be intermittently cut off and alternately applied at different driving speeds.

6. A selective speed drive of the character described comprising a pair of independently rotatably aligned shafts, a trio of pulleys, the outermost pulleys of the trio being connected to the inner extremities of the aligned shafts, the intermediate pulley being independently rotatable With respect t0 said shafts, driving pulleys mounted on the free ends of said shafts, a driven shaft, pulleys of different dimensions removably mounted on the driven shaft and connected to said driving pulleys so as to impart different driving speeds to said driven shaft.

JOHN B. BRENNEN. 

